U.S. patent application number 09/746405 was filed with the patent office on 2001-07-05 for contact sensitive device.
Invention is credited to Hill, Nicholas P.R..
Application Number | 20010006006 09/746405 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27515985 |
Filed Date | 2001-07-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010006006 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hill, Nicholas P.R. |
July 5, 2001 |
Contact sensitive device
Abstract
Method and apparatus using bending wave vibration to calculate
information relating to a contact on a contact sensitive device.
The contact sensitive device has a member capable of supporting
bending waves, and a device attached to the member measures bending
wave propagation in the member to determine a measured bending wave
signal. The measured bending wave signal is processed to calculate
information relating to the contact. The contact sensitive device
may comprise a transparent touch sensitive plate mounted in front
of a display device. A stylus (e.g., pen) may be used for writing
text or other matter on the touch-sensitive plate. The plate may
also be an acoustic device. Three transducers are mounted on the
plate. At least two of the transducers are sensing transducers and
are thus sensitive to and monitor bending wave vibration in the
plate.
Inventors: |
Hill, Nicholas P.R.;
(Cambridge, GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Alan I. Cantor
FOLEY & LARDNER
Washington Harbour
3000 K Street, N.W., Suite 500
Washington
DC
20007-5109
US
|
Family ID: |
27515985 |
Appl. No.: |
09/746405 |
Filed: |
December 26, 2000 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60171603 |
Dec 23, 1999 |
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60242618 |
Oct 23, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
73/606 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/0433 20130101;
G06F 3/0436 20130101; G06F 3/016 20130101; G06F 3/041 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
73/606 |
International
Class: |
G01N 029/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 23, 1999 |
GB |
9930404.0 |
Oct 20, 2000 |
GB |
0025771.7 |
Claims
1. A method of determining information relating to a contact on a
contact sensitive device comprising the steps of: providing a
member capable of supporting bending wave vibration, contacting the
member at a discrete location to produce a change in bending wave
vibration in the member, measuring the changed bending wave
vibration in the member to determine a measured bending wave
signal, and processing the measured bending wave signal to
calculate information relating to the contact.
2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of
applying a correction to convert the measured bending wave signal
to a propagation signal from a non-dispersive wave source.
3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the correction applied is
based on a dispersion relation of the material of the member.
4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the dispersion relation
is modelled by using the bending wave equation in combination with
known physical parameters of the material of the member.
5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the dispersion relation
is measured by using a laser vibrometer to create an image of the
vibration pattern in the member for a number of given frequencies
to give the dispersion relation in the frequency range of
interest.
6. A method according to claim 3, wherein the dispersion relation
is measured using a self-measuring scheme which is incorporated
into the contact sensitive device.
7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the information relating
to the contact comprises the location of the contact.
8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the information relating
to the contact comprises the pressure of the contact.
9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the information relating
to the contact comprises the size of the contact.
10. A method according to claim 1, wherein movement of the contact
on the member generates a continuous signal which is affected by
the location, pressure and speed of the contact on the member, and
continuous time data from the continuous signal is used to derive
additional information relating to the contact.
11. A method according to claim 10, wherein a neural net is used
for processing continuous time data.
12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the contact type is
selected from the group consisting of touch by a stylus and touch
by a finger.
13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the measuring step
comprises measuring the frequency content of the measured bending
wave signal to determine the contact type.
14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the measuring step
comprises measuring the frequency content of the measured bending
wave signal to determine the contact type.
15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the member has a complex
shape, and the processing step comprises using an adaptive
algorithm to derive information relating to the contact from the
measuring bending wave signal.
16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the adaptive algorithm
is implemented in a neural net.
17. A method according to claim 1, wherein the change in the
bending wave vibration produced by the contact is the generation of
bending wave vibration in the member by the contact.
18. A method according to claim 1, wherein the bending wave
vibration in the member is caused by background noise.
19. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of
comparing the measured bending wave signal with a reference signal
to identify when contact is made.
20. A method according to claim 1, wherein the measuring step
comprises measuring the changed bending wave vibration at an edge
of the member.
21. A method according to claim 1, wherein the measuring step
comprises measuring the changed bending wave vibration at a
position spaced from the edges of the member.
22. A method of determining information relating to a contact on a
contact sensitive device comprising the steps of: providing a
member capable of supporting bending wave vibration, generating
bending wave vibration in the member to probe for information
relating to a contact, contacting the member at a discrete location
to produce a change in the generated bending wave vibration in the
member, measuring the changed bending wave vibration in the member
to determine a measured bending wave signal, and processing the
measured bending wave signal to calculate information relating to
the contact.
23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the effect of the
contact is reflective, such that at least some of the generated
bending wave vibration is reflected by the contact to produce a
change in the generated bending wave vibration in the member.
24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the effect of the
contact on the generated bending wave vibration is measured using
indirect excitation from at least one boundary reflection.
25. A method according to claim 22, wherein the effect of the
contact is absorbing, such that at least some of the generated
bending wave vibration is absorbed by the contact to produce a
change in the generated bending wave vibration in the member.
26. A method according to claim 25, wherein the effect of the
contact on the generated bending wave vibration is measured using
indirect excitation from at least one boundary reflection.
27. A method according to claim 22, wherein the generated bending
wave vibration is not acoustically obvious.
28. A method according to claim 27, wherein the generated bending
wave vibration simulates background noise.
29. A method according to claim 27, wherein the generated bending
wave vibration is outside the audible frequency range.
30. A method according to claim 29, wherein the generated bending
wave vibration is in the ultrasonic frequency range.
31. A method according to claim 22, wherein the generated bending
wave vibration creates an acoustic output in the member, which acts
as an acoustic radiator of a loudspeaker.
32. A method according to claim 31, wherein the processing step
comprises isolating undesired signals from the changed bending wave
vibration produced by the contact.
33. A method according to claim 22, wherein the processing step
comprises isolating undesired signals from the changed bending wave
vibration produced by the contact.
34. A method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of
applying a correction to convert the measured bending wave signal
to a propagation signal from a non-dispersive wave source.
35. A method according to claim 34, wherein the correction applied
is based on a dispersion relation of the material of the
member.
36. A method according to claim 35, wherein the dispersion relation
is modelled by using the bending wave equation in combination with
known physical parameters of the material of the member.
37. A method according to claim 35, wherein the dispersion relation
is measured by using a laser vibrometer to create an image of the
vibration pattern in the member for a number of given frequencies
to give the dispersion relation in the frequency range of
interest.
38. A method according to claim 35, wherein the dispersion relation
is measured using a self-measuring scheme which is incorporated
into the contact sensitive device.
39. A method according to claim 22, wherein the information
relating to the contact comprises the location of the contact.
40. A method according to claim 22, wherein the information
relating to the contact comprises the pressure of the contact.
41. A method according to claim 22, wherein the information
relating to the contact comprises the size of the contact.
42. A method according to claim 22, wherein movement of the contact
on the member generates a continuous signal which is affected by
the location, pressure and speed of the contact on the member, and
continuous time data from the continuous signal is used to derive
additional information relating to the contact.
43. A method according to claim 42, wherein a neural net is used
for processing continuous time data.
44. A method according to claim 22, wherein the contact type is
selected from the group consisting of touch by a stylus and touch
by a finger.
45. A method according to claim 44, wherein the measuring step
comprises measuring the frequency content of the measured bending
wave signal to determine the contact type.
46. A method according to claim 22, wherein the measuring step
comprises measuring the frequency content of the measured bending
wave signal to determine the contact type.
47. A method according to claim 22, wherein the member has a
complex shape, and the processing step comprises using an adaptive
algorithm to derive information relating to the contact from the
measuring bending wave signal.
48. A method according to claim 47, wherein the adaptive algorithm
is implemented in a neural net.
49. A method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of
comparing the measured bending wave signal with a reference signal
to identify when contact is made.
50. A method according to claim 22, wherein the measuring step
comprises measuring the changed bending wave vibration at an edge
of the member.
51. A method according to claim 22, wherein the measuring step
comprises measuring the changed bending wave vibration at a
position spaced from the edges of the member.
52. A method of determining information relating to a contact on a
contact sensitive device comprising the steps of: providing a
panel-form member capable of supporting bending wave vibration,
generating bending wave vibration in the member from one location
on the member to probe for information relating to a contact,
contacting the member at a discrete location to produce a change in
the generated bending wave vibration in the member, measuring the
changed bending wave vibration in the member at two locations on
the member to determine a measured bending wave signal, and
processing the measured bending wave signal to calculate
information relating to the contact.
53. A method according to claim 52, wherein the information
relating to the contact comprises the location of the contact.
54. A method according to claim 52, wherein the information
relating to the contact comprises the pressure of the contact.
55. A method according to claim 52, wherein the information
relating to the contact comprises the size of the contact.
56. A method according to claim 52, wherein movement of the contact
on the member generates a continuous signal which is affected by
the location, pressure and speed of the contact on the member, and
continuous time data from the continuous signal is used to derive
additional information relating to the contact.
57. A method according to claim 56, wherein a neural net is used
for processing continuous time data.
58. A method according to claim 52, wherein the contact type is
selected from the group consisting of touch by a stylus and touch
by a finger.
59. A method according to claim 58, wherein the measuring step
comprises measuring the frequency content of the measured bending
wave signal to determine the contact type.
60. A method according to claim 52, further comprising the step of
comparing the measured bending wave signal with a reference signal
to identify when contact is made.
61. A method according to claim 52, wherein the measuring step
comprises measuring the changed bending wave vibration at two edges
of the member.
62. A contact sensitive device comprising: a member capable of
supporting bending wave vibration, at least one sensor coupled to
the member for measuring bending wave vibration in the member, and
a processor operatively coupled to the at least one sensor for
processing information relating to a contact made on a surface on
the member from the change in bending wave vibration in the member
produced by the contact and measured by the at least one
sensor.
63. A contact sensitive device according to claim 62, wherein the
contact sensitive device is a passive device where the change in
bending wave vibration in the member caused by the contact is the
generation of bending wave vibration in the member by the
contact.
64. A contact sensitive device according claim 63, wherein the
member is a display screen.
65. A contact sensitive device according to claim 64, wherein the
display screen is a liquid crystal display screen, and the at least
one sensor comprises liquid crystals of the display screen which
sense bending wave vibration in the member.
66. A contact sensitive device according to claim 62, wherein the
at least one sensor is mounted at an edge of the member.
67. A contact sensitive device according to claim 62, wherein the
at least one sensor is mounted on the member spaced from an edge of
the member.
68. A contact sensitive device according to claim 62, wherein the
member is transparent.
69. A contact sensitive device according to claim 62, wherein the
member is in the form of a panel.
70. A contact sensitive device according to claim 62, wherein the
member has uniform thickness.
71. A contact sensitive device according to claim 62, wherein the
member has a complex shape.
72. A mobile phone comprising a contact sensitive device according
to claim 62.
73. A lap-top computer comprising a contact sensitive device
according to claim 62.
74. A personal data assistant comprising a contact sensitive device
according to claim 62.
75. A contact sensitive device according to claim 62, further
comprising an emitting transducer coupled to the member for
exciting bending wave vibration in the member to probe for
information relating to the contact.
76. A contact sensitive device according to claim 75, wherein
information relating to the contact is calculated by comparing the
response of bending wave vibration generated by the emitting
transducer to a mechanical constraint caused by the contact.
77. A contact sensitive device according to claim 75, wherein the
emitting transducer has dual functionality and acts as the emitting
transducer and the at least one sensor.
78. A contact sensitive device according to claim 75, wherein the
emitting transducer and the at least one sensor are placed with a
relatively equal spacing around the periphery of the member.
79. A contact sensitive device according to claim 75, wherein the
emitting transducer and the at least one sensor are located at the
same point and are coupled into orthogonal physical properties.
80. A contact sensitive device according to claim 79, wherein the
emitting transducer is one of the group consisting of an inertial
transducer and a bender transducer, and the at least one sensor is
the other of said group.
81. A contact sensitive device according claim 75, wherein the
member is a display screen.
82. A contact sensitive device according to claim 81, wherein the
display screen is a liquid crystal display screen, and the at least
one sensor comprises liquid crystals of the display screen which
sense bending wave vibration in the member.
83. A contact sensitive device according to claim 82, wherein the
emitting transducer comprises liquid crystals of the display screen
which excite bending wave vibration in the member.
84. A contact sensitive device according to claim 75, wherein the
at least one sensor is mounted at an edge of the member.
85. A contact sensitive device according to claim 75, wherein the
at least one sensor is mounted on the member spaced from an edge of
the member.
86. A contact sensitive device according to claim 75, wherein the
member is transparent.
87. A contact sensitive device according to claim 75, wherein the
member is in the form of a panel.
88. A contact sensitive device according to claim 75, wherein the
member has uniform thickness.
89. A contact sensitive device according to claim 75, wherein the
member has a complex shape.
90. A mobile phone comprising a contact sensitive device according
to claim 75.
91. A lap-top computer comprising a contact sensitive device
according to claim 75.
92. A personal data assistant comprising a contact sensitive device
according to claim 75.
93. A contact sensitive device incorporating a loudspeaker, the
device comprising: a member capable of supporting bending wave
vibration and forming an acoustic radiator when excited, an exciter
coupled to the member for exciting bending wave vibration in the
member to probe for information relating to a contact made on a
surface of the member, and to cause the member to produce an
acoustic output, at least one sensor coupled to the member for
measuring bending wave vibration in the member, and a processor
operatively coupled to the at least one sensor for processing
information relating to the contact from the change in bending wave
vibration in the member produced by the contact and measured by the
at least one sensor.
94. A contact sensitive device according to claim 93, wherein the
member is in the form of a panel.
95. A contact sensitive device according to claim 94, wherein the
member has uniform thickness.
96. A contact sensitive device according to claim 95, wherein the
at least one sensor is mounted at an edge of the member.
97. A contact sensitive device according to claim 95, wherein the
at least one sensor is mounted on the member spaced from an edge of
the member.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of provisional
application Ser. No. 60/171,603, filed Dec. 23, 1999 and
provisional application Ser. No. 60/242,618, filed Oct. 23,
2000.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The invention relates to contact sensitive devices, e.g.
devices that detect and process information based on the location
of a transient contact made on a panel or screen.
BACKGROUND ART
[0003] Visual displays often include some form of touch sensitive
screen. This is becoming more common with the emergence of the next
generation of portable multimedia devices such as palmtop
computers. The most established technology using waves to detect
contact is Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW), which generates high
frequency waves on the surface of a glass screen, and their
attenuation by the contact of a finger is used to detect the touch
location. This technique is "time-of-flight," where the time for
the disturbance to reach one or more sensors is used to detect the
location. Such an approach is possible when the medium behaves in a
non-dispersive manner, i.e. the velocity of the waves does not vary
significantly over the frequency range of interest.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] According to the invention, there is provided a method of
determining information relating to a contact on a contact
sensitive device comprising the steps of:
[0005] providing a member capable of supporting bending wave
vibration,
[0006] contacting the member at a discrete location to produce a
change in bending wave vibration in the member,
[0007] measuring the changed bending wave vibration in the member
to determine a measured bending wave signal, and
[0008] processing the measured bending wave signal to calculate
information relating to the contact.
[0009] The contact may be in the form of a touch from a stylus or a
finger. The stylus may be in the form of a hand-held pen.
[0010] The information calculated may be the location of the
contact or may be other information, e.g. pressure or size of the
contact. The information relating to the contact may be calculated
in a central processor.
[0011] The bending wave propagation may be measured by at least one
sensor which may be mounted at or spaced from an edge of the
member. The sensor may be in the form of a sensing transducer which
may convert bending wave vibration into an analogue input signal.
There may be more than one sensor.
[0012] By bending wave vibration it is meant an excitation, for
example by the contact, which imparts some out of plane
displacement to the member. Many materials bend, some with pure
bending with a perfect square root dispersion relation and some
with a mixture of pure and shear bending. The dispersion relation
describes the dependence of the in-plane velocity of the waves on
the frequency of the waves. The relative magnitude of the vibration
is determined by material properties of the member and the
frequency of excitation.
[0013] Bending waves are dispersive, i.e. the bending wave velocity
is dependent on frequency. This property makes any "time-of-flight"
approach inappropriate, as the signature of the disturbance
progressively spreads out in time. Accordingly, the method further
comprises the step of applying a correction to convert the measured
bending wave signal to a propagation signal from a non-dispersive
wave source. Once the correction is applied, techniques used in the
fields of radar and sonar may be applied to detect the location of
the contact.
[0014] One significant advantage of using bending wave propagation
is that bending waves are bulk waves, which involve the movement of
the whole member, and not just the surface. In contrast, most of
the alternative touch sensing technologies rely on surface effects
and as such are vulnerable to surface damage. Accordingly, a
contact sensitive device using bending waves should be more robust
and less sensitive to surface scratches, etc.
[0015] Applying the correction may be the first step in processing
the bending wave signal. The correction applied is preferably based
on the dispersion relation of the material of the member supporting
the bending waves. This dispersion relation may be modelled by
using the bending wave equation in combination with known physical
parameters of the material of the member. Alternatively, the
dispersion relation may be measured by using a laser vibrometer to
create an image of the vibration pattern in the member for a number
of given frequencies to give the dispersion relation in the
frequency range of interest.
[0016] The measuring of bending wave propagation may be done by
continually sampling the motion in the member. By comparing the
measured bending wave signal with a reference signal, for example
the signal before a contact is made, it may be possible to identify
when contact is made. The magnitude or other characteristics of the
signal may be compared. Once contact has been made, the measured
bending wave signal may be recorded and may then be processed.
[0017] The member may be in the form of a plate or panel. The
member may be transparent or alternatively non-transparent, for
example having a printed pattern. The member may have uniform
thickness. Alternatively, the member may have a more complex shape,
for example a curved surface and/or variable thickness. Provided it
is possible for bending waves to travel from the contact position
to one of the sensors (by whatever complex path), the method may be
adapted for complex shaped members by providing an adaptive
algorithm such as a neural net to decipher the contact location
from the bending wave signal received by the sensor. It may be
necessary to have several sensors.
[0018] The method may involve purely passive sensing, in other
words, the change in bending wave vibration in the member induced
by the contact may be the excitation to bending wave vibration in
the member. In other words, there is no other source of bending
wave vibration for a passive sensor. The position of the contact
may be calculated by recording the time of arrival of an impulse at
each sensor, comparing the times to determine the relative
distances of each sensor from the origin of the impulse and
intersecting the relative distances to give the position of the
contact. The bending wave vibration and hence the measured bending
wave signal may be generated by an initial impact or by frictional
movement of the contact. There may be a minimum of three
sensors.
[0019] Increasing the number of sensors used to detect the contact
or contact location provides extra information and thus may provide
a more accurate detection. Alternatively or additionally, the
bending wave signal received at each sensor may be analysed over a
longer period of time such that not only the direct signal, i.e.
the signal when the impulse first reaches the transducer, is
measured but also the reflections from the edges of the member.
This approach is similar to adding mirrored versions of the or each
existing sensor. Using this scheme, the extra information obtained
may be used to provide greater accuracy or reduce the number of
sensors.
[0020] After calculating the location of the contact, the measured
bending wave signal may be further processed to determine
additional information regarding the contact. The movement of a
stylus on the member may generate a continuous signal which is
affected by the location, pressure and speed of the stylus on the
member. Continuous time data which may be derived from the
continuous signal may be used to derive additional useful
information in a variety of applications.
[0021] One application may be signature recognition which is a
subset of the more general task of pattern recognition.
Applications such as these, where patterns are drawn from complex
data, benefit greatly from the extra independent information
present in the continuous time data. The method may thus further
comprise the step of implementing a neural net for processing
continuous time data. The neural net may be trained by a set of
examples, for example, a set of signatures written by a particular
subject or a set generated from a knowledge of the typical variance
caused by the human process of writing.
[0022] A fundamental property of a neural net is that the more
independent information is available, the greater the accuracy of
the conclusions drawn. Much of the information available in the
continuous time data is completely independent from the position
information, since it is connected to the velocity and pressure of
the stylus on the surface of the member. Therefore the extra
information increases the potential for accurate signature
recognition. The method may further include the training of a
second neural net with examples of time responses for signatures.
Additional improvement may be achievable with training using
further examples, either generated by the user or from knowledge of
the expected variations in pressure and velocity.
[0023] Alternatively, the continuous time data may be used in
handwriting recognition, the detection of a "double-click" or the
detection of the strength of a contact, e.g. how hard a click. Both
detection of "double-click" and click strength may be achieved with
the image of the impulse shape in the continuous-time data. It may
be possible to use a slower position sampling rate than other more
conventional technology.
[0024] In contrast, conventionally the detection of a contact, be
it pen, finger, etc., is performed at a pre-determined sample rate
and the information concerning the contact location is built up
from a set of points. There is no continuous time information and
thus many of the applications described above may not be performed
or may be performed less satisfactorily.
[0025] A measurement of the frequency content of the measured
bending wave signal may be used to determine the contact type since
the characteristic frequencies generated by each type of stylus
differ. For example, a hard stylus will generate higher frequencies
than a soft finger. Thus, a contact sensitive device for use with a
hand-held pen-input device may be set up so as not to be triggered
if the hand of the operator touches the contact sensitive
device.
[0026] The differences in the frequency generated by different
types of styli imply a difference in the absolute spatial
resolution achievable; the higher frequency translates to a greater
resolution. However, the resolution difference often coincides with
the requirements for the contact in question. For example, the
spatial resolution required for an input by a finger is usually
less than the spatial resolution expected for a sharp-tipped
stylus.
[0027] The frequencies generated by the contact are relatively low,
i.e. generally audio frequencies rather than ultrasonic.
Consequently, the member is preferably capable of supporting
bending wave vibration in the audio range. Thus, a member similar
to those used as an acoustic radiator in a loudspeaker may also be
used to act as a contact sensitive device.
[0028] The contact sensitive device may further comprise an
emitting transducer mounted on the member to generate bending wave
vibration in the member to probe for information relating to the
contact. The member may thus be an acoustic radiator and bending
wave vibration in the member may be used to generate an acoustic
output. Such vibration may be regarded as a noise signal, although
there are other types of noise signal which may effect the passive
sensing. When there is an external noise signal, the method may
further comprise techniques to isolate the noise signal from the
signal generated by the contact, for example:
[0029] 1) Prediction filtering which predicts the response of the
noise signal over a short time scale. Differences from the
predicted value are more likely to be generated by a contact than
by the emitting transducers.
[0030] 2) Modelling the noise signal using a continuous logging of
the audio signal produced, together with knowledge of the transfer
function from the emitting transducer to the sensor. This allows a
more accurate prediction of the noise signal than prediction
filtering.
[0031] 3) Using the multiple sensors to determine the location of
the emitting transducer in the same manner as used to locate the
contact (for example, intersection method). This information should
facilitate the separation of the bending waves generated by the
emitting transducer from the bending waves generated by the
contact.
[0032] Alternatively, the noise signal may be used as an active
probe of a contact in the member. Thus, the method may further
comprise generating bending wave vibration in the member so that
there is active sensing, in other words, sensing which relies not
on the generation of waves by the contact but on the response of
waves already present in the member to a mechanical constraint
caused by the contact.
[0033] The bending waves in the member may be generated by a
stimulus signal from a transducer mounted on the member. The
transducer may have dual functionality, namely acting as an
emitting transducer and a sensor. Alternatively, there may be an
emitting transducer and at least one sensor mounted on the
member.
[0034] The effect of the contact may be reflective, absorbing, or a
combination of the two. For reflection, an emitting transducer
generates bending waves, which are reflected by the contact and
detected either by the same transducer or a separate sensor. The
signal, either a time or frequency response, may then be processed
with the material dispersion relation information to yield the
distance travelled from the emitting transducer or source to the
sensor via the contact.
[0035] One single measurement may be sufficient to differentiate
between two contact locations which are a substantial distance
apart. However, more information may be required to determine the
contact location more accurately. This may be achieved by sensing
the reflection with multiple sensors, where the stimulus signal may
emanate from the emitting transducer or from a different source for
some or all of the sensors. Either way, each sensor gives an
independent measurement of the contact location, which may be
combined to give a progressively more accurate contact location
with increasing transducer number.
[0036] An alternative way to increase the location accuracy may be
to measure the bending wave vibration in the member over a longer
time, thus increasing the information in each measurement. In terms
of a frequency response, this may correspond to a greater frequency
resolution. The extended signal may also contain information
concerning both direct and indirect reflection from the contact.
Indirect reflection is a signal which arrives at the sensor from
the contact via one or more boundary reflections. This method may
be regarded as equivalent to adding further sensors at the mirror
locations of the initial sensor, and may be employed to determine
an accurate contact location with only one combined source/sensing
transducer.
[0037] A self-measuring scheme may be incorporated into the contact
sensitive device to measure the material dispersion relation in the
member. When no contact is applied the boundary reflections are
still present, which for a regular shape are manifest as strong
reflections corresponding to the distances to each boundary. For a
specific implementation, the emitting transducer, sensor and
boundary locations are known which gives a set of known reference
points. A smooth function representing the material dispersion
relation may then be optimised to warp the frequency axis such that
the periodicities corresponding to these reference points are
restored. Further optimisation may be performed if required by
adding other known reference points such as a contact in a
pre-determined place.
[0038] This scheme allows an implementation of the active sensing
technique without prior knowledge of the material dispersion
relation. Alternatively it may be used to fine tune a correction
for the small manufacturing tolerances present in the panel
properties, or variations due to heat, humidity, etc.
[0039] Pure absorption requires a different implementation as
compared to a scheme based on reflection. Thus the method may
comprise implementing a "ray tracing scheme," where the effect of
the contact is to interrupt a wave incident on one or more of the
sensors. A wave incident on a sensor may be created by direct
excitation, e.g. by one or more emitting transducers at an opposed
location, or by indirect excitation from one or more boundary
reflections. For indirect excitation, the emitting transducer may
be located at any position, including a position adjacent to the
sensor. Furthermore, indirect excitation allows detection of an
absorbing contact from a single transducer, which acts as the
source and the sensor of the boundary reflections.
[0040] Interruption of the incident wave may also result in
diffraction about the absorption point. The effect of diffraction
makes the absorptive approach sensitive to a much wider area than
is the case for pure ray tracing. The contact location may be
outside a direct path of the bending wave incident on the sensor
and may still affect the signal received by the sensor. The
information obtained by absorption may be in a more complex form
than that for a reflecting contact. Consequently a more intelligent
detection algorithm may be required, such as a neural net.
[0041] The stimulus signal generated by the transducer preferably
has good noise rejection, and preferably does not have an audibly
damaging or acoustically obvious effect. Thus, the stimulus signal
may have a very small amplitude or may be similar to noise. For the
latter, a particular correlation may be hidden in the noise for the
calculations to latch onto. Alternatively, the stimulus signal may
be made inaudible, i.e. ultrasonic by increasing the frequency
above 20 kHz. This has the advantage that a large signal amplitude
can be used and the high frequency translates into a high spatial
resolution. However, the member must be capable of supporting such
an ultrasonic signal. Many materials are suitable, for example,
glass, crystal polystyrene.
[0042] The stimulus signal may be chosen from any one of the
following signals:
[0043] 1. Pulsed excitation--note this does suffer from poor noise
rejection and audibility, if it has sufficient amplitude.
[0044] 2. Band limited noise--this signal is less audibly damaging
than most in any given frequency band and has the advantage that it
may be tuned to the most suitable frequency band. In addition it
may be made ultrasonic.
[0045] 3. Steady state sine waves--these give good signal to noise
but are extremely audible when in the audio band. Improvements are
to place the frequency outside the audio band or use multiple
closely spaced sines with random relative phase, thus making the
signal audibly more noise-like. This is one example of a signal
that is audibly noise-like, but has a hidden correlation that
improves the signal to noise level. Another example of such a trace
is an MLS (Maximum Length Sequence) signal.
[0046] 4. A chirp signal--this is a widely used signal to determine
a frequency response of a system over broad range of frequencies.
However this may be practical only at ultrasonic frequencies, where
it is not audible.
[0047] 5. An audio signal--this may be fed into the transducers
when the member is being used as an acoustic radiator for a
loudspeaker. In this case there is no problem with the stimulus
signal having an audibly damaging effect, as it is the very signal
responsible for the intended audio output.
[0048] When a sensor and an emitting transducer are close together
or the same transducer, a background signal produced by the
emitting transducer is generally much greater than the signal of
interest associated with the contact. This may introduce problems
which may be alleviated in a number of ways. For example, for a
pulsed excitation signal, the measurement at the sensor may be
gated so that measurement starts after an outgoing wave produced by
the emitting transducer has progressed further than the sensor.
However, extended time stimulus signals are more common than pulsed
excitation signals since the latter has poor noise rejection
properties.
[0049] For an extended time stimulus signal there are mechanical or
other techniques which may be used to improve the relative
magnitude of the contact signature, for example:
[0050] 1) Placing the sensor at approximately 1/4 wavelength from
the emitting transducer so that the magnitude of the outgoing wave
detected at the sensor location is minimised. This technique may be
used if the contact signal is limited to a relatively narrow range
of frequencies.
[0051] 2) Locating the emitting transducer and the sensor at one
drive point and designing the emitting transducer and the sensor to
couple into orthogonal physical properties. For example, a bender
transducer and an inertially coupled transducer may be located at
the same point. An outgoing wave generated by either transducer is
not detected by the other. However, a secondary wave which is
either reflected from the contact or boundaries is detected,
maximising its relative magnitude.
[0052] 3) Addressing the problem in the electrical domain. A
measurement of the frequency response may be achieved with a swept
sine wave and a demodulation stage. The outgoing wave from the
emitting transducer produces a large background value of the
frequency response upon which the fine structure due to smaller
reflections from the contact is superposed. After demodulation
(e.g. by a chirp demodulation circuit) the output may be a small
ripple on a large smoothly varying background. Consequently, when
this output is passed through a high pass filter the pertinent fine
structure may be emphasised relative to the large background.
[0053] 4) Digitising the measured signal with sufficient accuracy
so that it is sensitive to the fine structure on top of the large
background. The fine structure may then be emphasised with
filtering in the digital domain.
[0054] Depending on the use of the transducer it may either be a
two, three, or four terminal device. Two terminal devices may be
used as sensors or emitting transducers separately. Alternatively
they may be used as dual function transducers, where a sensing
function is determined from the impedance of the device. Three and
four terminal devices use a separate transducer as sensor and
emitting transducer. For a three-terminal device the sensor and
emitting transducer share a common electrode, whereas the sensor
and emitting transducer are electrically isolated in the
four-terminal device.
[0055] The or each emitting transducer or sensor may be a bender
transducer which is bonded directly to the member, for example a
piezoelectric transducer. The bender transducers are generally
directional, which may be advantageous in some applications. The
directivity achieved is determined by their physical shape and may
therefore be tuned accordingly. Additional advantages include a
high conversion efficiency, low cost, and considerable
robustness.
[0056] Alternatively, the or each emitting transducer or sensor may
be an inertial transducer which is coupled to the member at a
single point. The inertial transducer may be either electrodynamic
or piezoelectric. Inertial transducers are generally
omni-directional, provided the contact point is small compared to
the bending wavelength in the member at the frequency of
interest.
[0057] The transducers and/or sensors may be placed with a
relatively equal spacing around the edge or on the surface of the
member subject to the specific topology of the application.
[0058] It may be possible to use audio transducers which are
already in place as sensing and/or emitting transducers. This
implementation may add the facility for a touch screen with the
minimum of extra hardware. However, if this approach is not
possible then small piezo elements might prove the most suitable
transducers, as these are particularly suited to the ultrasonic
frequencies which may be used for active sensing.
[0059] According to another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a contact sensitive device comprising a member capable of
supporting bending wave vibration, at least one sensor coupled to
the member for measuring bending wave vibration in the member, and
a processor operatively coupled to the sensor for processing
information relating to a contact made on a surface on the member
from the change in bending wave vibration in the member produced by
the contact and measured by the sensor.
[0060] The contact sensitive device may be a passive sensor where
bending wave vibration in the member is only excited by the contact
and not by any other source. Alternatively, the contact sensitive
device may be an active sensor. The contact sensitive device may
thus further comprise an emitting transducer for exciting bending
wave vibration in the member to probe for information relating to
the contact. Information relating to the contact is calculated by
comparing the response of waves generated by the emitting
transducer to a mechanical constraint caused by the contact.
[0061] The member may be capable of supporting bending waves in the
audio range. The contact sensitive device may thus be a loudspeaker
such that an acoustic radiator of the loudspeaker acts as the
member of the contact sensitive device and an exciter mounted on
the acoustic radiator to excite bending wave vibration in the
acoustic radiator to produce an acoustic output acts as the
emitting transducer of the contact sensitive device.
[0062] The contact sensitive device may further comprise display
screen, e.g. for presenting information related to the contact
which is calculated by the processor. Thus, according to a further
aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display screen
which is a contact sensitive device. The display screen may be a
liquid crystal display screen comprising liquid crystals which may
be used to excite and/or sense bending waves. The screen may be
capable of supporting bending waves over a broad frequency range.
Direct contact to the screen may trigger the contact sensitive
device. This application therefore affords the possibility to make
a standard LCD screen touch sensitive with no additional mechanical
parts.
[0063] Since the method may be adapted to complex shapes, a contact
sensitive device according to the invention may be included in a
mobile phone, a laptop computer or a personal data assistant. For
example, the keypad conventionally fitted to a mobile phone may be
replaced by a continuous moulding which is touch sensitive
according to the present invention. This approach may decrease
costs and provide an extended area for use in audio applications.
In a laptop, the touchpad which functions as a mouse controller may
be replaced by a continuous moulding which is a contact sensitive
device according to the invention. The moulding may be implemented
as a mouse controller or other alternatives, e.g. a keyboard.
[0064] The advantages of the bending wave contact sensitive device
and method compared to other technologies are:
[0065] 1) A more versatile technology which is sensitive to both
location and pressure of the contact;
[0066] 2) A cheaper form of contact sensitive device since there is
no requirement for an array of transparent contacts or a complex
sensor of a magnetic tip, etc.;
[0067] 3) The device is readily scaleable in size and spatial
sensitivity by control of the material parameters of the member;
and
[0068] 4) By using a dual functioning member, good quality sound
may be achieved within tight spatial and weight constraints.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0069] Examples that embody the best mode for carrying out the
invention are described in detail below and diagrammatically
illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:
[0070] FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a touch sensitive device
according to the present invention;
[0071] FIGS. 2a and 2b are schematic perspective views of a bending
wave device before and after contact is applied;
[0072] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a first example of
a device incorporating passive touch sensing according to a first
embodiment of the present invention;
[0073] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a second example
of a device incorporating passive touch sensing according to the
first embodiment of the present invention;
[0074] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a processing algorithm for
passive sensing according to the first embodiment of the present
invention;
[0075] FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a first example of
a device incorporating active touch sensing according to a second
embodiment of the present invention;
[0076] FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a second example
of a device incorporating active touch sensing according to the
second embodiment of the present invention;
[0077] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an implementation topology of
the present invention;
[0078] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a processing algorithm for
active sensing according to the second embodiment of the present
invention; and
[0079] FIGS. 10a to 10d are graphic illustrations of a method of
dispersion correction.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0080] FIG. 1 shows a contact sensitive device (10) comprising a
transparent touch sensitive plate (12) mounted in front of a
display device (14). The display device (14) may be in the form of
a television, a computer screen or other visual display device. A
stylus (18) in the form of a pen is used for writing text (20) or
other matter on the touch sensitive plate (12).
[0081] The transparent touch sensitive plate (12) is also an
acoustic device capable of supporting bending wave vibration. Three
transducers (16) are mounted on the plate (12). At least two of the
transducers (16) are sensing transducers or sensors and are thus
sensitive to and monitor bending wave vibration in the plate. The
third transducer (16) may also be a sensing transducer so that the
system corresponds to the passive contact sensitive device of FIG.
3 or FIG. 4.
[0082] Alternatively, the third transducer may be an emitting
transducer for exciting bending wave vibration in the plate so that
the system corresponds to the active embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7,
which may act as a combined loudspeaker and contact sensitive
device.
[0083] FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate the general principles of a
contact sensitive device (22) using bending wave vibration as the
sensing element. The contact sensitive device (22) comprises a
panel (24) capable of supporting bending wave vibration and a
sensing transducer (26) mounted on the panel (24) to sense bending
wave vibration in the panel (24) at the point where the sensing
transducer (26) is mounted. FIG. 2a shows the vibration pattern
(28) of bending wave vibration, in this case the normal
uninterrupted vibration pattern, e.g. that of steady state at a
given frequency, or a transient pulse.
[0084] In FIG. 2b, contact has been made to the panel (24) at
contact point (30) and the pattern of vibration is altered. Contact
may alter the vibration pattern (28) either by disturbing the path
of bending waves already in the panel (24) or by generating new
bending waves which emanate from the contact point (30). The change
in vibration pattern (28) is sensed by the sensing transducer (26).
Information relating to the contact may be determined from the
readings of the sensing transducer, for example, by a first
processing unit. The information may be relayed to a second
processing unit which outputs the information on a display screen.
The information may include details of the location and pressure
profile of the contact impulse, for example:
[0085] 1) The x,y co-ordinates of the contact.
[0086] 2) The characteristic size of the contact, e.g. 1 mm
corresponds to a pen or stylus, 1 cm corresponds to a finger.
[0087] 3) Profile of pressure of contact as a function of time.
[0088] FIGS. 3 and 4 are more detailed illustrations of two contact
sensitive devices (32,33). Each of the contact sensitive devices
(32,33) comprises a panel (24) capable of supporting bending wave
vibration and three sensing transducers (26) for sensing bending
wave vibration at their respective mounting points. The vibration
pattern (28) is created when pressure is applied at a contact point
(30). The devices may be considered to be passive contact sensitive
devices since the devices do not comprise an emitting transducer.
Thus the bending wave panel vibration in the panel is generated
solely by the contact.
[0089] In a passive sensor an impulse in the body of the panel (24)
starts a bending wave travelling towards the edge of the panel
(24). The bending wave is detected by the three sensing transducers
(26) mounted equidistantly around the edges as in FIG. 3, or by the
three sensing transducer mounted on a surface of the panel (24) but
spaced from the edges of the panel (24) as in FIG. 4. The measured
bending wave signals are processed to determine the spatial origin
and force profile of the applied impulse.
[0090] FIG. 5 shows an algorithm for the processing of the bending
wave information sensed at each sensing transducer (26) of FIG. 3
or FIG. 4. The algorithm comprises the following steps:
[0091] i) Optimise the signal at each sensing transducer to
minimise external unwanted signals. Linear prediction of the signal
can be used to predict and remove background noise.
[0092] ii) Calculate the frequency response at each transducer.
[0093] iii) (Optional) Add in information on the location of the
contact impulse if available from active sensing.
[0094] iv) Add in material parameter information.
[0095] v) Using the information available from steps (ii), (iii)
and (iv), correct for panel dispersion to give non-dispersive
response.
[0096] vi) Compute the inverse fft of the response at the contact
time giving the impulse shape at the contact point.
[0097] vii) Output information detailing the impulse shape and
location information if required.
[0098] Advantages of passive sensing include:
[0099] 1) the method encompasses more than one frequency and
includes sufficient frequency content required to image the impulse
shape, and
[0100] 2) as the method is passive the power requirements are
minimal.
[0101] One disadvantage of passive sensing is that the frequency
content of the measured signal is limited by the frequency content
of the impulse. Consequently the high frequency information is
limited, which translates into a relatively long bending
wavelength. The spatial resolution of the signal is therefore
limited.
[0102] FIGS. 6 and 7 are more detailed illustrations of alternative
combined touch sensitive and audio devices (35,37). The devices
each comprise a panel (24) capable of supporting bending wave
vibration and an emitting transducer (31) for exciting bending wave
vibration in the panel (24). The device (35) in FIG. 6 further
comprises two additional sensing transducers (26) for sensing
bending wave vibration at their respective mounting points, whereas
the device (37) in FIG. 7 comprises one additional sensing
transducer (26). The vibration pattern (28) is interrupted when
pressure is applied at a contact point (30). The devices may be
considered to be active contact sensitive devices since the devices
comprise an emitting transducer (31).
[0103] In FIG. 6 the sensing and emitting transducers (26,31) are
spaced equidistantly around the edges of the panel (24), whereas in
FIG. 7 the sensing and emitting transducers (26,31) are distanced
from the edges of the panel (24) and are mounted to a surface
thereof. The transducers in FIG. 7 are spaced equally on the
surface of the panel.
[0104] FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate possible implementations of the
active contact sensitive device. In FIG. 8, the central processor
(34) outputs a digital output signal (36) which is converted by the
digital to analogue converter (DAC) (38) to an analogue output
signal (40). The analogue output signal (40) is fed to an amplifier
(42) which feeds an amplified analogue output signal (44) to the
emitting transducer (31). The emitting transducer (31) emits
bending wave excitation (46) which excites bending waves in the
panel (48).
[0105] The bending waves in the panel (48) are sensed at sensing
step (50) by two sensing transducers (26). The sensing transducers
(26) convert the bending wave vibration into analogue input signals
(52) which are fed into an input analogue to digital converter
(ADC) (54). The resultant digital input signal (56) is transmitted
to the central processor (34) from which information (58) relating
to the location and profile of the contact impulse is
determined.
[0106] In FIG. 9, there is shown a method for determining the
location of the contact point. The steps are as follows and may be
performed by the central processor shown in FIG. 8:
[0107] a) Measure frequency response at each sensing
transducer.
[0108] b) Correct for panel dispersion relation.
[0109] c) Compute the fft to give the time response for a
non-dispersive medium.
[0110] d) Compare the time response to a reference response, where
there is no external contact to the panel.
[0111] e) Identify the reflections originating from the contact
point.
[0112] f) Perform echo location on the relevant reflections to
identify their origin.
[0113] g) Output the information detailing the location of the
contact.
[0114] Advantages of active sensing include:
[0115] 1) As the technique measures the response to an external
signal, high frequency information is not limited and a high
spatial resolution is possible.
[0116] 2) The susceptibility to external noise can be greatly
reduced. This can be achieved by sensing the response in a
frequency band where the external noise is small, such as above the
audible spectrum. An alternative is to give the signal a particular
correlation, enabling its detection even when small compared to the
background noise.
[0117] Disadvantages of active sensing include:
[0118] 1) The technique is likely to be less sensitive to the
profile of the impulse than the passive scheme. However, more
sophisticated processing may improve this situation. For example,
the greater the pressure of a finger or pen the larger the degree
of extra damping likely to be introduced. This may be identified by
a relative simple extra processing of the data.
[0119] 2) The need for an external signal is likely to require more
power than the passive measurement. This drawback can be minimised
by making the exciting signal as small as possible. Also, when the
exciting signal is at high frequency piezo transducers may be
employed, which have the advantage of a very high efficiency.
[0120] In many applications the one single implementation of the
bending wave contact sensitive device may not be general enough to
cope with all situations. For example a passive sensor will work
well when there is no audio being played through the device.
However, when loud music is being played, an active sensor, either
at frequencies out of the audio band or using the musical signal as
the stimulus, is more suited. Therefore a combination of more than
one particular implementation may prove to be the best solution.
Furthermore, in the transition region between the passive and
active sensing there may be useful information obtainable from both
techniques.
[0121] FIGS. 10a to 10d show the steps in one possible method of
correcting to convert the measured bending wave signal to a
propagation signal from a non-dispersive medium. FIG. 10a is a
graph of a dispersive impulse response showing response in
arbitrary units against time. FIG. 10b is a graph of a dispersive
frequency response showing response in arbitrary units against
frequency. FIG. 10c is a graph of a non-dispersive frequency
response showing response in arbitrary units against frequency.
FIG. 10d is a graph of a non-dispersive impulse response showing
response in arbitrary units against time.
[0122] For pure plate bending, the wave speed is proportional to
the square root of frequency, i.e. the high frequency component of
any particular wave travels faster than the lower frequency
components. FIG. 10a shows an impulse in an ideal medium with a
square root dispersion relation and demonstrates that a dispersive
medium does not preserve the wave shape of an impulse. The outgoing
wave (60) is evident at time t=0 and the echo signal (62) is spread
out over time, which makes a determination of an exact contact
position problematic.
[0123] A periodic variation of the frequency response is
characteristic of a reflection, and is often referred to as comb
filtering. Physically, the periodic variation in the frequency
response derives from the number of wavelengths that fit between
the source and the reflector. As the frequency is increased and the
number of wavelengths fitting in this space increases, the
interference of the reflected wave with the outgoing wave
oscillates between constructive and destructive.
[0124] Calculating the Fourier transform of the dispersive impulse
response of FIG. 10a produces the frequency response shown in FIG.
10b. The frequency response is non-periodic and the periodic
variation with wavelength translates to a variation in frequency
that gets slower with increasing frequency. This is a consequence
of the square root dispersion in which the wavelength is
proportional to the square root of the inverse of frequency. The
effect of the panel on the frequency response is therefore to
stretch the response as a function of frequency according to the
panel dispersion. Consequently, a correction for the panel
dispersion may be applied by applying the inverse stretch in the
frequency domain, thus restoring the periodicity present in the
non-dispersive case.
[0125] By warping the frequency axis with the inverse of the panel
dispersion, FIG. 10b may be transformed into the frequency response
for the non-dispersive case (FIG. 10c) in which the frequency of
excitation is proportional to the inverse of the wavelength. This
simple relationship translates the periodic variation with
decreasing wavelength to a periodic variation with increasing
frequency as shown in FIG. 10c.
[0126] Applying the inverse Fast Fourier Transform (fft) to the
trace of FIG. 10c produces an impulse response shown in FIG. 10d,
which is corrected for dispersion and where the clear reflection is
restored. As is shown in FIG. 10d, any particular wave shape of an
impulse is preserved in time since the waves travelling in a
non-dispersive medium have a constant velocity of travel,
independent of their frequency. Accordingly, the task of echo
location is relatively straight-forward. The outgoing wave (66) is
evident at time t=0, together with a clear reflection (68) at 4 ms.
The reflection (68) has a magnitude which is approximately
one-quarter of the magnitude of the outgoing wave (66).
[0127] The invention thus provides a novel and advantageous contact
sensitive device, and a contact sensitive device combined with a
bending wave panel acoustic device. Various modifications will be
apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the
scope of the invention, which is define by the appended claims.
[0128] Incorporated herein by reference are UK priority application
No. 9930404.0, filed Dec. 23, 1999; U.S. provisional application
Ser. No. 60/171,603, filed Dec. 23, 1999; and U.S. provisional
application Ser. No. 60/242,618, filed Oct. 23, 2000.
* * * * *